UK Chancellor John Healey announces scrapping of tariffs on marmalade, cornichons and over 100 goods ahead of the budget

A package of 'everyday fixes' on the eve of the budget

UK Chancellor John Healey will present a package of 'everyday fixes' in Wednesday's budget, aimed at easing pressure on households amid the cost of living. The centrepiece of the announcement is the removal of import tariffs on more than 100 'family favourite' products: for example, the tariff on marmalade — 20% plus an additional £19 per every 100 kg of imports — is being suspended, and tariffs on cornichons are being scrapped. The government links the measures to support for farmers facing rising fertiliser prices and for households that rely on heating oil. According to the government's estimate, together with the previously introduced suspensions of tariffs on pasta, fruit juice and tuna, the changes could save families up to £21 a year. This is reported by BBC News.

What else is in the package

Alongside the tariffs, several social and tax changes have been announced. The tax-free mileage rate of 55 pence per mile for those driving up to 10,000 miles for work will become permanent, and the rate above that threshold will rise from 25 to 35 pence per mile. The 'cliff edge' in carer's allowance is being abolished: instead of losing the entire payment when the current earnings limit is exceeded, a taper mechanism will be introduced. Self-employed fathers will gain the right to two weeks of paternity pay — previously they could not receive payments of up to £194 a week for this period. In addition, hundreds of extra parcel drop-off points in Post Office postboxes will be rolled out.

Arguments and criticism

Healey explained the measures by the impact of the wars in Iran and Ukraine on families' everyday expenses: 'We cannot control world events, but we can act where we can make a difference.' Prime Minister Andy Burnham stressed that the government 'has not lost sight of everyday concerns', citing as examples a nurse who drives for work, a parent with a newborn, and an unpaid carer. The Conservatives criticised the package: shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith said that 'a promise of cheap cornichons is an insult to families hit by Labour's tax rises', and in the party's view, the 'everyday fixes' have already been eroded by rising borrowing costs, taxes and inflation.

Context and limitations

The package was announced a day before the budget, meaning these are government statements rather than adopted measures — their final composition will become clear in the budget statement itself. The estimate of £21 a year in savings comes from the government and has not been verified by independent sources in the available publications. It is also important not to overstate the scale: scrapping tariffs on individual products yields, by the authorities' own calculations, only up to £21 a year per family in total with the previous tariff suspensions, whereas the opposition links the pressure on family budgets to far larger factors — taxes, inflation and the cost of borrowing. The full budget documents referenced by the BBC, are available in its publications dedicated to the budget.

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